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Peyton Wins MVP; Were Others More Deserving?

by Rich Resch on January 2nd, 2009 at 6:37 pm

Peyton Manning won his record-tying 3rd NFL MVP award in a landslide. This bugs me.

I won’t argue that Manning did not deserve the award; he had another outstanding year and led his team to the playoffs once again. What irks me is the fact that he won in such a rout when there were other players who I believe were at least as deserving of the award. Manning received 32 votes, while the next closest players (Chad Pennington and Michael Turner) received 4 each. Manning’s name value and surging Colts team prevented voters from thinking outside the box. As my friend ‘Zachary W’ put it, “I think it helps that he’s Peyton Manning.”

Here are the guys who never had a chance:

Philip RiversPhilip Rivers (QB- SD)- Most people probably don’t realize that Rivers was the best quarterback this year; better than Drew Brees, better than Kurt Warner and better than Peyton Manning. Rivers led all QBs in QB Rating, Touchdowns, TD% and Yards Per Attempt. He played well all year, but in the four game winning streak that clinched the playoff berth, Rivers had an 11 to 1 TD to INT ratio. Yes, the Chargers did finish 8-8, but at no fault of Rivers; they lost 5 games by a total of 12 points, in which Rivers had a TD:INT ratio of 11:4. Without defensive leader Shawne Merriman, and with a declining LaDanian Tomlinson, Rivers took the team on his back and led them to the playoffs. He was far and away the best quarterback statistically, and without him, his team would have missed the playoffs. That is the definition of the Most Valuable Player.

Chad Pennington (QB- MIA)- The Jet cast-off won comeback player of the year for the second time in three years (maybe there should be a rule against that…). Led a team that was 1-15 last year to an improbable division title. His 67.4 completion percentage led the NFL, and his 97.4 QB rating and 19:7 QB:INT ratio were second only to Philip Rivers’.

deangelloDeAngelo Williams (RB- CAR)- Half beast, half monster. Williams led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns, and added 2 more receiving touchdowns. His 5.5 yards per carry was 2nd in the NFL (Derrick Ward- 5.6) and first among RBs with 200 carries or more. His 1515 yards was good for 3rd in the league, despite the fact that he split carries with rookie Jonathan Stewart. Most importantly, he performed when it mattered the most. Williams scored an insane 15 touchdowns in second half of the season.

Adrian Peterson (RB- MIN)- Despite not having a stable quarterback all year, and despite teams making it their #1 priority to contain him every week, Peterson was still unstoppable. “All Day” led the league with 1760 rushing yards, and a 4.9 Yards Per Carry was good for 5th in the league. He was one of only two players to average 100 yards per game (Michael Turner); and had ten 100 yard games. His 9 fumbles and 4 fumbles lost (most among running backs) hurt his chances.

Giants Offensive Line- There is no rule that says an entire unit cannot win the award, but it will never happen. The Giants rushed for a league high 157 yards per game and had two 1,000 yard rushers for only the fifth time in NFL history. They are generally acknowledged as the best offensive line, and one of the most dominant units in the league. Anyone who watches the Giants knows that the offensive line is the heart and sole of the offense. Not to take anything away from Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, but with the size of the holes this line created, I think I could have ran for at least 400 yards this year. In fact, I guarantee it.

Others deserving mention:

Andre Johnson (WR- HOU)- Led league with 115 receptions and 1575 yards. Had at least 10 catches in a game 7 times.

Ed Reed (S- BAL)- Led league with 9 INT and also added 2 TD.

James Harrison (LB- PIT)- 101 tackles and 16 sacks. Led league with 7 forced fumbles.

DeMarcus Ware (LB- DAL)- Led league with 20 sacks. Second in league with 6 forced fumbles.

Michael Turner (RB- ATL)- 1699 rush yards and 17 touchdowns were both second in the league.

Matt Ryan (QB- ATL)- Rookie of the year; took team from disarray to playoffs with one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.

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About Rich Resch

Rich is a graduate of University of Maryland and is currently the senior editor of Giants Football Blog and a panelist on Pro Football New York's internet radio show. He is a former contributor to Hot Foot Blog, and a former featured columnist on Bleacher Report. View all posts by Rich Resch →
  • SoDev

    I agree about the rout part.

    I only like the MVP voting slightly better than the pro bowl voting (which I hate) so that is not saying much.

    I get annoyed just thinking about the pro bowl to be honest because I would love for it to have real meaning.

    At the end of the day, Peyton deserves it. Do other deserve it equally or slightly more? Yes, maybe, but the fact is a lot of people do and only 1 can win it, and I guess he’s earned the right to get the bonus point for being so good for so long.

    400 yards Rich? lol =P

  • Rich Resch

    This is assuming that my bones would not shatter on impact from an NFL hit, and that I get a healthy amount of carries. With this offensive line, I think I could average 2 yards per carry, before falling to the ground, curled up in the fetal position to avoid the second wave of defenders.

    • SoDev

      I didn’t realize you were to be using the super duper fetal maneuver…

      …yea, at least 400!

      =p

  • BradshawStoleMyPlaystation

    I believe you would have been the Giant’s third 1000 yard back because of your “non stop motor”. You would be known as Engine, the only non-weather related Giant’s RB. You would also have “Character Issues”.